Dr_No

Well DAYYYUM! Thanks for that tip. Did not know that existed in Publisher. I do believe you have just greatly simplified my typesetting life. I'm still trying to understand the Mystical Tab Stops in the Para panel … I keep hearing ‘Does not compute. Does not compute.’ … at times there is a feeling of attempting to decode arcane alchemical symbology …

A re-visit to the above-mentioned .pdf shows its text was, indeed, made non-editable by the conversion out of INDD. The same was true for .pdfs generated by AI. I think (note: ‘think’ in this context is open to interpretation) the Mystery of the Tabs is close to being resolved. I can set (as an example) a .15 tab indent for global application to a series of paragraphs that are highlighted (is it necessary for all to be highlighted?, he asked) and it took immediate effect - except for the very first line of text in the opening para. Mama, why is that … ? How is it correctable … ?

The uneditable .pdfs still had text as text (not converted to curves or vector outline.) Wouldn't be recognized as such, tho', and wouldn't allow reassigning of fonts, spacing, kerning, leading, etc. Puzzling. Tabs are still more of a chore than tabs should be, tho'. I realise I'm used to the tab bar in AI / ID / QX that lets a block be highlighted and tabs set, then all tabs become global settings. I have to be missing something with Publisher, ’cos I don't find tabs intuitive there at all. The little boxes with ‘tab sets’ and decimal settings don't effectuate any change(-s) when the text is highlighted and the button clicked. This, I'm thinking, is all part of the Great Learning Curve …

Thanks … that just about covers it, I think. Is it (relatively) safe to assume one can import text as .rtf (Rich Text Format) and then apply formatting to it in Publisher (or Photo or Designer)? If so, I can open the original .rtf files (which will still require substantial editing to bring them to match the finished files in INDD / AI / QXP) and complete the layout and formatting in Publisher. That should at least have the benefit of consistency, yes?

I have text in a Publisher document which will eventually be multiple layers that I would like to have arc upward. I see no provision for doing that. Text is converted to curves, and should be warpable - but I see no warp tools available. Similarly, I can apply a color to the text (3 lines total, mid-line italics) in toto, but not to an individual selection. A separate matter is importing text created in Illustrator CS6, QuarkXpress 9.5.4.1, and InDesign CS6. None of these formats imports into Publisher save as .pdf files, which are not editable. If they are editable, I haven't figured out the steps by which to make that so. All tips appreciated. Please advise if these things are possible and, if so, how to achieve them.

Hello, R C-R … all of your points are accurate, but there's an ancillary point about the cost of 'keeping up with the Joneses' when dealing with Newer Tech. Apple has not upgraded its Mac Pro line in - what? - close to 9 years or so now. Yes, they issued the 'TrashCan Mac,' but I don't recall it being adopted en masse by the UserProles. Its new OSes have also been problematic and problem-prone, esp. with its newest, 'Catalina.' The security update issue is a legitimate concern, and I'd love to see Apple adopt Microsoft's policy of security upgrades for versions for (what?) up to ten years, is it? Last I checked, I believe I saw that MSoft was still updating security back to Win 7. That, however, could be in error. For me, it will be a matter of cost v security. As I've never been a fan of iPads or MacBooks and have always preferred desktops (particularly the G5 'Cheesegrater' model which is so easy to work on), I'd be looking at an investment in the upper reaches of four figures to 'up my game' to the 'latest & greatest.' I have to accept that, at some point, I will choose to no longer upgrade and 'roll the dice' until they (hopefully) turn up a seven. My friend's experience with the warning issued by 'High Sierra' about potentially making his installed applications non-functional if he proceeded is enough to keep me 'on the farm' with 'Sierra' for the foreseeable future. I'll keep in mind your advice about partitioning the HD - or possibly just installing a separate drive - to allow selective boot into newer OSes. That might be a workable solution that doesn't break the bank (and I could make it an SSD, too.) I have several XHDs (external drives) I can use as you suggest, and have one presently configured to boot into 'Sierra.' Good call. Thanks again.

Thanks, Jim … I'm beginning now to sort out how Publisher is set up and where it hides 'the good stuff' that's needed for any sort of decent typesetting. It's quite a nicely-thought-out software. I also have no plans to escalate the Rush to Broke-ness by upgrading beyond my current OS of 'Sierra' 10.12.6. A friend U/G'd to 'High Sierra' and was rewarded with a warning prior to install that installing HS might permanently break some of his installed softwares. Catalina is right out, too … I would much preferred having stayed with Snow Leopard ’cos it's the last really stable OS Mac had, but then I couldn't have experienced Affinity's wares … life goes on. Thanks again.

Thanks again, Walt. I've looked at the tutes, and this (along with other things) is obviously one I missed. I don't think I accessed the whole set of tutes, tho' - I only viewed the ones linked to the opening splash screen. Once I become the Proud Owner of this software at the end of trialing, the tuteviews will no doubt increase along with my (ahem) 'level of expertise' with the ware. Publisher is similar to, yet different from, Quark and ID (and even AI) - but it still maintains standard typesetting protocols. It's just a matter of finding out where all the different rooms are in this new house. I'm sure everything is there - I just need to know where to look for it. Thanks again …

Thank you! This particular piece doesn't use Styles, but others will. Either way, this information will be quite helpful in future. As Sgt Preston of the Yukon used to say at the end of each Radio Episode: “King, this case is closed.” … and other one opens: How to link separate text boxes?

A second dumb question … spacing between paragraphs. When I press 'Enter' to begin a new paragraph, Publisher automatically inserts a blank line between the two paragraphs. I do not want a blank line between paragraphs unless I set it intentionally. Having looked thru the settings, and finding no solution or method to correct this default, I now ask HOW can I configure Publisher so it does NOT automatically insert a blank line between paragraphs? If it's to be there, I want to decide it will be there rather than have that decision imposed on me by an algorithm. Thanks again in advance.

Thank you … that makes transitioning from QuarkXpress / InDesign (even Illustrator) much more intuitive. Tabs are a 'must-have' item when typesetting. It will be interesting to see if I can set and save tabs as Presets like we can 'Styles.' Thanks again for the heads-up.

Currently doing a test-drive of Publisher prior to purchase. Ran into a roadblock attempting to create custom tab settings. From the application's contextual menus and the information given by online vids presenters, one is given the impression there are only built-in default tab settings, becos it's never specified there are customisable options available. Defaults are nice for those who don't know how to set tabs, but it's a P.I.T.A. factor when the tab bar / menu can't be located so as to create customised tab settings in a document. I'll take a S.W.A.G. (perhaps mistakenly) and believe there really may exist customisable tab settings in Publisher and I haven't yet located the hideyhole. If you know the Secret Procedure by which to extract its secret location (hopefully it's a Menu Item) so as to obtain its ooey-gooey 'Tab Honey,' please advise. Thanks in advance.

Interesting. Were the two tries separated by a restart due to an 'Application Not Responding' message followed by 'Force Quit'? All in all, tho', that's a startup time I could manage to live with compared to the one presently displayed.

Thanks … 'Ctrl' it shall be, then …

Wow again! I never anticipated such a torrent of informative and helpful responses. Thanks to everyone for their input. My 'Advanced Geekery' level hovers between 'Zero' and 'None' … sad, isn't it? I've fired up Activity Monitor in the past, but closed it once I realised I wasn't even walking the path Alice trod as she tracked the White Rabbit. That's way above my level of General Yet Quite Non-Specific Knowledge. Agreed about the clean install. It would be the classic 'One step forward, two steps back' non-solution. It may, however, teach me the Secret Inner Meaning of 'You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out’ … and at the end, I'd know 'what it's all about.’ I should, as an 'Informed User,' know more of the Tech-y/Geeky stuff, but coding and related activities started to disappear from my screen when OS9 became OS X … until that time, I could usually stay apace of changes. Sad, but that small bit of understanding began slipping away with Unix-world and OS X … Thanks so much to all for their thoughts and suggestions to this problem. Restart with 'Cmd' (or 'Ctrl') held and / or reinstall sounds like the path to try. Will post the Exciting Conclusion to the story here upon (hopefully) successful completion of the process … stay tuned for our Next Exciting Episode … !